Brisbane: Toogoolawah School

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As part of the new direction and indeed moving forward with Swami’s mission; a workshop was organised in the Toogoolawah School which brought together volunteers and service oriented professionals from the medical and educational fields including community care workers. The aim of the workshop was to explore the various dimensions of the “Edumedicare Gap Model”, to develop a framework for this model, to concretise ideas and to look at the expansion of this model. The basic tripod structure envisages bringing together medicare and educare professionals and parents of students who have “slipped through the cracks” in the mainstream education system. This model exists in a rudimentary form at the Toowoolagah school. The crux of this model is the adoption of a ”holistic approach” to heal the children and develop their character. One key aspect which was explored was the enhancement of knowledge and skills of all stakeholders through this partnership, eventually leading to transformation of the individual so that they could be an inspiration and role model to the students / children. The application of this model to “mainstream schools” is also going to be looked at in future workshops.

 

On the day itself, the participants arrived early and in high spirits. The participants from India included Swami’s students along with the college Warden and Dr Phaneendra who works in Swami’s medical institutions in India. The domestic participants comprised of doctors working in various fields, educators, community healthcare professionals and volunteers from across Australia.

 

Post a basic briefing and a meditation session, the volunteers were introduced to each other and subsequently broke into groups and were asked to brainstorm on two points of discussion each. They were provided chart paper and texters and asked to be creative with their ideas. The room was full of enthusiasm and animated discussions took place within the groups. As the groups finished and were ready to present their ideas and findings to the other participants, Swami arrived to bless all with His divine presence!

 

Swami came straight to the workshop venue and enquired about the workshop. He then explored the physical venue with its many rooms and then looked at the ideas generated by each group on chart paper commenting on the work of each group including the “tripod structure”. It was a blissful moment for all the participants, a comment here and a comment there by the Lord of the Universe Himself! Swami spent a fair amount of time looking at the work done by the participants and then proceeded to the assembly area. All the participants were inspired to take the learnings and outcomes from the workshop forward and implement them, now that the Lord had sanctified their work by reviewing it Himself!